His Brother's Shell
by madwriter223
Summary: -Kink Meme Fill- Asgard keeps trying to rehabilitate Loki Asgard-Style, but that only worsens Loki's condition. Then one day Loki's mind breaks completely. WARNINGS for implied torture, mental illness


**His Brother's Shell**

Thor had tried, oh how had Thor tried. But it was all in vain, he knew that now.

Each time Loki had been defeated, Thor had brought him back to Asgard. Each time Loki faced his punishment and Thor hoped, prayed, begged that this time it will succeed, that this time Loki will emerge as his brother again. Witty, mischievous, his.

But each time Loki emerged wilder, madder, _worse_. His schemes became grander, more unstable, more likely to fail. And each time Loki's smile grew bigger and more deranged.

Until finally, Loki didn't emerge at all. He had to be carried out, body limp and mind gone.

Thor had despaired, oh how had Thor despaired. But it was all in vain, he knew that now.

Thor had taken his brother to every mind-healer known in the Nine-Realms. He had begged the help of witches, sorcerers, enchanters and enchantresses alike. They all said the same thing, all spoke the same truth.

There was nothing of Loki left to save.

So Thor sat in the Royal Garden, his brother's will-less body cradled in his lap. Thor traced the line of his brother's cheek over and over as he spoke to him gentle words of undying affection. Glassy eyes stared back at him, a small line of saliva trailing down from Loki's parted lips.

No, not Loki's. For this could not be Loki, not Thor's Loki.

Loki would yell at Thor for placing him in his lap. Loki would bat away the tender touch. Loki would snark and laugh at the words of love Thor spoke, teasing Thor for being maudlin.

No. His brother would definitely not be this... shell. A shell that needed to be bathed, dressed, fed. A shell that had nothing to offer other than a blank stare.

Loki's breath stuttered against Thor's neck, and Thor, not even knowing when he had closed them, opened his eyes. The thunderer's large hand was wrapped around Loki's thin neck, squeezing what was left of Life out of Loki's body.

Thor stared at his hand, wondering if it had grown a mind of its own. He should let go now, this shell was still his brother, was it not?

But his smiling brother was gone now, wasn't he? And this shell didn't deserve such an empty existence.

So he didn't let go. He instead tightened his hold, squeezing until the breath stopped altogether, squeezing still until he heard the crack of a neck breaking.

It was done.

And so Thor sat, the body of his darling brother, long lost, cooling in his arms. He glanced up at the sky, and wondered at the lack of rain clouds. For why else would the thunderer's eyes and face be wet with salty droplets? Thor did not know.

He shifted the truly lifeless body closer to his chest and buried his face in black hair that still smelled vaguely of his beautiful brother.

Thor just did not know.

.

.

.

.

**Written for a Kink Meme Prompt:**

Thor is genuinely trying. He's doing what he thinks is right within the context of his society, and that means taking back his brother for punishment and rehabilitation 'cause, come on, Loki pulled some major SHIT.

Except, Loki's rehabilitation keeps failing and he keeps escaping. And every time he escapes, something, usually a Midgardian city, goes BOOM. And each time he's brought back, the punishment is worse, the rehabilitation is longer.

Until one day, when Loki comes out, he's not Loki anymore. He's a drooling, vague, mindless DOLL. And this is NOT Thor's brother. He wants his brother back, damnit!

Thor tries many different things to bring back his brother. None of them work, and the Midgardian psychiatrists he takes Loki to all tell him the same thing: that there's no true consciousness in him, that it's too late.

As anons have probably guessed from the title, it ends sadly. Thor, realizing that his brother would never want such an empty existence, crushes Loki's throat. At that point, he's not even thinking of Loki as Loki anymore, just as a doll, or an empty husk with his brother's looks.

He won't even realize that he's crying.


End file.
